Hime and the Hellhound
by amaayasha
Summary: he Inu no Taisho was arrogant, and so got punished. All Izayoi wanted to do was find her father. So how did she get involved in a Hellhound's mess? Based on Beauty and the Beast. Written for Inuvember 2k15
1. Be Our Guest

For the longest time, people cowered at the mere mention of the Inu no Taishō - and with good reason.

The Inu no Taishō was a daiyōkai to be feared. He ruled over the West, merciless in defending it. He never hesitated when he killed. He did not care much for his wife nor his son. He was selfish and cruel, to the point that his own allies never approached him, too fearful of his wrath.

Stories of his temper reached the ears of a very powerful priestess, and Midoriko decided to test the great Inu no Taishō. Surely this was all a jest, wasn't it? Some demons had tainted souls, but all of them could learn to love. Everyone should be given the benefit of the doubt.

And with that in mind, Midoriko took off for the Inu no Taishō's large castle.

It was a cold winter's night when an old, weak demon knocked upon the Inu no Taishō's home. Grumbling, the Inu no Taishō went to answer the call himself, for his wife and son were being annoying and he didn't feel like dealing with them. At seeing the weak demon, he demanded, "What do you want?"

"Can your kind soul offer a demon like me one night of shelter?" the demon asked, with a raspy voice. "In exchange, I'll give you this." She lifted up a jewel shard - one that glittered pink. "It's a shard of the Shikon no Tama."

The Inu no Taishō wrinkled his nose at her and turned around. "As if I would let someone like you into my home. Get lost."

"Don't let appearances dissuade you, Inu no Taishō," the old demon warned him. "Please—"

"I told you to get lost!" the Inu no Taishō grabbed the hilt of his sword, snarling silently in warning. The demon sighed, as if disappointed, and pulled off the cloak she was wearing. And before his very eyes, the ugliness melted, leaving in place the beautiful Midoriko, who put a hand on the hilt of her own sword.

The Inu no Taishō's eyes widened, for even he had heard of the powerful Midoriko. He began to pull out his sword, but stopped when she sighed again.

"There is no love in your heart, Inu no Taishō." She spoke slowly, eyes closed before they were snapped open, revealing eyes that seemed to burn.

"Demons don't _love."_ He spat out the word, disgusted at even the thought of it.

"They can learn to love, like your wife has learned to love your son," Midoriko corrected. "You won't even give love a chance." All of the sudden, she took out a sutra, throwing it on to him. The Inu no Taishō howled in pain, and fell to his knees, gripping himself. The demons in his home rushed to him when they heard it, and to their horror, he began to _change_.

At first, he seemed to be only morphing to his true form - but he did not grow into it. In fact, it was as if Midoriko had seen his true form and tweaked it to make him stay at relatively the same height, and giving him an uglier, ragged, humanoid appearance - complete with thumbs.

Midoriko waited until he finished screaming, and when he looked up at her she tossed the Shikon no Tama shard towards him. It clattered, and then stopped innocently in front of his face.

"I am placing a curse onto your castle," she spoke. "Everyone living here other than you will be unable to leave. But I do not think you'll be wanting to go outside like this, are you?"

The former Inu no Taishō snarled at her, but she continued on as if she hadn't heard him. "The shard is enchanted. It will slowly grow over the years. If, somehow, you can learn to love another, and earn their love in return before the jewel is completed, then the curse will be broken, and you will turn back into your normal self. And if not, you'll be doomed to stay this way forever."

The priestess turned around to walk away, before stopping and pulling something out of her armor. Turning slightly, she tossed it at him, and by pure reflex he caught it. Looking down at him, it was revealed to be a mirror.

"That mirror is your only window to the outside world. Use it well…Hellhound."

And with that, she was gone, and everyone looked at each other silently.

"We're doomed," the Inu no Taishō's son, Sesshomaru, said bluntly. And his mother sighed and rubbed his head, silently agreeing.

For who could ever learn to love a hellhound?

###

If Izayoi didn't find him herself, she was going to _kill_ her father.

Grumbling as she rode on her father's horse, she looked around. This was a part of the forest she was unfamiliar with, so why on earth had her father gone this way looking for her?

 _"Where is my father, Hana? Why is his horse here but he isn't?"_

 _"…Shoichi-sama left a few hours ago to look for_ you _, Izayoi-hime. The horse came back without him."_

"Honestly!" Izayoi muttered to herself as she pressed forward. "Chichi-ue should know better than to go look for me, I always come back…"

But, Izayoi thought guiltily, this _had_ been the longest she had been gone. It was no wonder her father had gotten so worried, but with his constant urging of getting married to Takemaru, she couldn't help it.

Takemaru was a fine samurai, and a good childhood friend. But Izayoi couldn't bring herself to think of…to think of _marrying_ him. She wanted to do so much _more_ with her life than be an obedient little wife to Takemaru. She wanted to travel the world, find more herbs to study, and to find more things to read.

Izayoi knew that she'd have to leave her dreams behind one day. But right now, looking for her father who had never even been into the forest in his life, that day was _not_ today.

The horse neighed fearfully, and Izayoi frowned and looked up—

—and nearly fell off.

 _How did I not notice?_ she wondered as she steadied herself, swallowing. How indeed - how exactly did one miss a gigantic castle, one that commanded respect that was obtained by fear?

And yet, somehow…Izayoi was _drawn_ to it. She wanted to know if anyone lived in it, and if so, why? She wanted to know the history behind it, and how many kilometers long the castle grounds had. She wanted to know everything about it.

Her father always did tell her she would die because of her curiosity.

With that cheerful thought in mind, Izayoi slid off of the horse, grabbing his reins to lead him in. She looked around, catching some plants that could very easily be medical…or poisonous. She promised herself that she'd look at them later, before pressing forward. Subconsciously, she let go of the reins, before slowly entering the castle.

Izayoi knew it was rude to enter without alerting the people inside, but judging by how jumpy the horse had gotten the closer it got to the castle, she just _knew_ that her father was in there. And damn her if she was just going to _leave_ him here!

"Hello?" she called into the dark space. There were no candles lit, and all of the windows seemed to be covered with tapestries. "Anyone here?"

Wind blew in from the open door, and Izayoi automatically closed the door as she was accustomed to doing back in her own castle. She even forgot to take off her zori, so distracted she was.

"Chichi-ue? Are you here?" she called, jumping as a tapestry brushed against her arm. Glaring at it as if it had offended her, she took out two rocks from her bag and spotted an empty torch on the ground. Kneeling down while thanking Kami that she hadn't changed from her latest escapade to the forest (multiple layers of kimono would've just made this harder), she began to rub the rocks over it, and smiling smugly when a spark jumped off onto the torch. Quickly picking it up, she dropped the rocks to gently wave on it, giving it oxygen without blowing it out. Soon enough, she had a lit torch, and nodding in satisfaction, she continued onto her way.

"Chichi-ue? Anyone?" she called again, and this time she got a reply.

"Over here!"

Izayoi turned to look for the source wildly. It definitely wasn't her father's voice - Chichi-ue's voice resonated and demanded attention - but it was high and squeaky while still distinctly male. "Is someone there?" she asked, taking a hesitant step forward.

"Over here!" the voice called again, and this time Izayoi was able to pinpoint where it was coming from - from the open door leading off to a corridor that went outside. Izayoi rushed over, looking around for the person - he didn't seem to be anywhere, so he must've left.

"Wait! I'm looking for my father!" she called, rushing forward and opening the slide that led to the next room.

Silence. Then—

"Izayoi?"

Putting a hand to her mouth, she rushed forward before collapsing onto her knees. There, in the middle of the room, were iron bars - and behind those bars was her father, with only his haori to keep him warm from the winter chill. There was no torches lit to even give him warmth.

"Chichi-ue!" Putting the torch on one of the torch holders, she grasped his hands through the bars. "Your hands are like ice," she noticed, aghast as she frantically rubbed them to get the circulation going.

"How did you find me?" Shoichi murmured, pulling one hand away to touch Izayoi's cheek. "Never mind that - you need to leave, Izayoi!"

Izayoi shook her head, grabbing his hand again. "Chichi-ue, how can you even _suggest_ —"

"Izayoi, listen to me. You need to leave before it's too late!" Shoichi's hands shook in hers, and somehow the hime knew that it wasn't because of the cold. Her father - her gentle yet brave father - was _scared_.

"Who did this to you?" Izayoi demanded, her anger flaring up. How could anyone hurt her father? He did his best to remain neutral in wars, helping the people in need - he didn't deserve this!

"There's no time! Izayoi, for once, _please_ listen to me!" Shoichi pleaded. But Izayoi still shook her head, refusing to leave him. She was many things, but a coward was not one of them. She would never be able to live with the guilt of leaving her father behind.

"I refuse to leave you!"

And that was all she was able to get out before _something_ was strength she didn't know existed grabbed her shoulder and whipped her around, making her back hit the bars. She gasped, looking around widely. The torch didn't give much light - only enough to see her father's terrified face…and a huge outline in the dark.

"What are you doing here?" A voice, low and deep and _dark_ , growled out.

"Izayoi, get out of here!" Shoichi pleaded, pushing her shoulders fruitlessly to get her to move, but she stayed firm, shielding her father with her own body. She was small, something she had inherited from her late mother, but that wouldn't stop her if this…this _thing_ tried anything.

"Who's there?" Izayoi picked up a sound of feet moving to the side, so she moved her own head to follow the outline. "Who are you?" She tried to sound brave, but the wavering in her voice wasn't really convincing anyone.

"The master of this castle," the voice replied loudly with a snarl, and she flinched momentarily before sitting up straight, hands curling into her own haori to stop them from shaking.

"I've come for my father," Izayoi said loudly, brown eyes flashing in anger. "May you please let him out? He's getting sicker the longer he's here!"

"Then he shouldn't have trespassed here." Something changed in the voice, making the voice sound more like a parent than a jail-keeper.

Izayoi gritted her teeth and yelled, "But he could die! Please, I'll do anything!" By the time she was done speaking, she sounded more like a scared child than a demanding princess, and Izayoi's eyes stung with tears.

"There's nothing _you_ can do." This time he sounded bitter, as if there was something deeper that she wasn't understanding. She didn't have time to continue the line of thought before he continued, "He's my prisoner, and he'll _stay_ my prisoner until his body rots."

The outline began to leave, and mind racing, and she leaned forward, letting the light of the torch fully hit her face, her mouth moving before her mind had fully decided: "Take me, instead!"

Shoichi gaped at his daughter, before tightening his grip on her shoulders and shaking her slightly. "No, Izayoi! Get out of here! You don't know what you're doing!"

 _Of course the first time Chichi-ue is wrong is right now,_ Izayoi thought bitterly. Because she knew exactly what she was doing.

 _"You!"_ The figure seemed to scoff, before he fell silent, as if thinking. "You…you would take his place?" Now he sounded hesitant, as if not quite believing his ears, but Izayoi didn't think too much about it. Right now, the only thing she was concentrated on was making sure that her father got out.

"If I did, would you let him go?" Izayoi asked, giving up on trying to sound brave. The truth was, she was angry but terrified. But she would give up the world to make sure that Chichi-ue would get out okay.

"Yes…but you must promise to stay here forever." The outline came closer, and now the only thing Izayoi could see was gold eyes surrounded by red. She looked down quickly, staring at her shaking hands now resting on her lap. She was ready to accept, but then she realized - in this entire exchange, she had never seen the captor's face.

"Only if you come into the light," Izayoi compromised, a single eyebrow raised at the figure, hoping this would work. If it didn't, she had just doomed her father to a terrible fate.

The first thing she saw was a foot covered in white tabi - but then she realized that it couldn't be tabi, because she could see claws on the tip of the toes. It was white _fur_ , and as the figure slowly stepped into the figure, she could only take in a few details at a time. A long tail of white fur, an overall messy appearance. Ragged blue markings on his cheeks. A mouth full of fangs.

A true Hellhound.

Izayoi couldn't take it anymore - she turned around and hid her face into her father's chest as best as she could, breathing raggedly. Shoichi's hands had moved from her shoulders to her hands, and he gripped them tightly.

"Izayoi, you can't do this." His voice cracked, sounding broken, but Izayoi took another ragged, deep breath before looking up at him. She smiled at him in reassurance, before standing up and turning back around. She ignored her father attempting to grab onto her kimono, trying to stop her, and she stepped into the torchlight fully, eyes closed before she opened them. She had to tilt her head up fully to look at him straight in the eye, but she said in her best composed voice, "You have my word."

"Done!" The Hellhound talked too quickly, not giving her time to take back her word, and moved by her to open the bars. Izayoi collapsed to her knees, burying her face into her hands as she tried her best to contain her tears. There was a _click_ sound, and suddenly her father was there, cupping her face with one hand and the other one gripping one of her hands.

"Izayoi, please don't! I'm old, I've lived my life—" Shoichi tried to say, but before he could get another word in the Hellhound grabbed him, picking him up easily and began to drag him out of the room.

"No, wait!" Izayoi begged desperately, trying to grab onto her father's hand. She had so many things to tell him - she needed to tell him how much she loves him, how sorry she was for being so rebellious, how much she wished she had listened to him, how much she was going to miss him—

She needed to say goodbye.

Shoichi was struggling against the Hellhound's grip, he, too, desperate. "Spare my daughter, please!" he pleaded. "She's done nothing wrong, she doesn't deserve this—"

The Hellhound rose the lord to be face to face with him, and he growled, "She's no longer your concern." And with that, he tossed Shoichi into the palanquin and ordered, "Take him to the castle."

Moving on its own, the old palanquin seemed to hover before speeding off, separating father and daughter, both with broken hearts.

###

When the Hellhound started to stalk back into the castle, his eye twitched when he felt something on his nose. Closing his eyes, he slapped a paw over his nose, and when he pulled back a tiny, flea yōkai drifted down onto it.

"Whaddya want, Myoga?" the Hellhound nearly demanded, stopping momentarily to glare at the flea. Myoga quivered in fear, but felt brave enough to say what was on his mind.

"Master, since the human is going to be with us for quite some time, I was thinking you might want to give her a more comfortable room than the cell!" Myoga jumped up and down on the hand, hoping that if he was moving fast enough he wouldn't be swatted away.

The Hellhound said nothing, only snarled at the flea, and the flea squeaked in terror and jumped into the fur covering the shoulder of his master. The Hellhound decided to leave him there, figuring he could swat him away if he tried anything stupid.

Coming back inside of the room he had kept the human lord captive, the Hellhound stopped and his eyes widened at seeing the human girl still on her knees, sniffling and rubbing her face with tiny hands.

Her bloodshot eyes flickered upwards to see who had entered, and anger began to bubble up in her chest. "I'm never going to see him again!" Her voice broke, and she looked down again and rubbed her face. "I'm never going to see him again, and you didn't even let me say goodbye."

The Hellhound averted his eyes, his nose twitching at the smell of tears, and said nothing. Seeing Myoga jumping up and down on his shoulder, the Hellhound cleared his throat and turned away, saying, "I'll show you to your room."

Izayoi's eyes widened, and she stood up, her legs shaking. "I thought—"

"What, you wanna stay in here for the rest of your life? If you do, then be my guest!" the Hellhound snapped, turning partially to look at her before his stomach flipped inside of him. Standing up to her full height (which was tiny, even for an average human), her shocked brown eyes, and her long black hair and pale skin illuminated by the torchlight, the Hellhound could fully appreciate just how beautiful this human woman was.

He quickly turned back around, trying to ignore the state his stomach was in. Now really wasn't the time for staring at pretty human girls. "Come on," he said roughly, stalking out of the room, and Izayoi hurriedly followed him.

They walked in silence, with Izayoi looking around the castle as they walked. It was a strange layout - it seemed to have multiple floors, with staircases leading up to what must be storage rooms…or something else. It was unlike anything she had ever seen, and despite how scared she was, she was still so very curious about it.

The Hellhound glanced back at her, watching her eyes as they moved around, taking everything in. She didn't seem so terrified anymore - scared, maybe, but not terrified - and so Myoga jumped up to the Hellhound's ear and whispered, "Talk to her!"

"I...um...hope you like it here." The Hellhound bit the inside of his cheek at just how nervous he came out. Why was he so nervous of a tiny ningen? She was a human! She could do him no harm! With that in mind, he continued on. "The castle is your home now, so you can go anywhere you wish…" He trailed off, remembering exactly one place the human couldn't go to. "Except the West Wing."

This place was making it _really_ hard to not be curious. Izayoi couldn't stop herself from asking, "What's in the West Wing?"

The Hellhound stopped in his tracks, and before he could think twice about what he was doing he turned to her angrily and practically roared, "It's forbidden!"

Izayoi took a step back, a hand coming up and gripping the kimono over her chest. Myoga face-palmed and tugged at the Hellhound's ear, forcing him to continue walking. Izayoi bit her lip, but as the torchlight began to disappear she jogged lightly to catch up.

The Hellhound's ear twitched at her footsteps, and for a second he thought about how _adorable_ her quiet footsteps were. Growling deep in his throat at himself, he slid open a door. Izayoi slowly stepped inside, looking around. It was a nice room - even nicer than her own. The entire room was covered in tatami mats, keeping her feet warm. It had thick wooden walls, keeping the cold out, and a huge fluffy futon with something that looked like it had been imported from the Continent to rest the head on. There was a small table with a pillow to kneel on to read or write. There was even a giant glass door that led to the forest outside, giving an undeniable good view once the snow melted.

The Hellhound, trying to be more gentle with her, said tenderly, "Now, if there's anything you need, my servants will attend you. Just yell."

"Dinner - invite her to dinner, Master!" Myoga frantically whispered into his ear, and the Hellhound's temper shook. He had never done this human courting, what was he supposed to do?

Going back onto how he used to do things, he growled out, "You will join me for dinner. That's not a request!" He slammed the door closed, and tears welled up into Izayoi's eyes. Finally letting herself go, she ran to the futon, throwing herself onto it to sob into her arms.

She didn't know how long she had been crying - it could've been hours - but all of the sudden two things happened: one, she felt something stinging in her neck. Two, there was a knock on the door.

Izayoi sat up slowly, calling out, "Who is it?" as she absentmindedly slapping her neck to kill whatever had stung her. Her eyes widened at hearing a squeaky groan coming from the thing she had just attempted to kill.

The door opened, and a female inu daiyōkai entered. "I see Myoga already made your acquaintance," she said in an amused voice. Izayoi looked at her and her breath caught.

She was beautiful. She had pure, silver-white hair that was picked up into two high pigtails - something that Izayoi had always characterized for children, but on her she made it elegant. Everything about her was regal and elegant - from her expensive clothing to the blue crescent moon on her forehead.

She wasn't just beautiful. She was more like a _goddess,_ something out of this world _._

"Who?" Izayoi couldn't help asking, before crossing her eyes at seeing something dark on her nose. The tiny flea _waved,_ and on instinct she flicked it away.

The flea squeaked in indignation, and the beautiful daiyōkai only laughed. "Please stop swatting me away, ojou-san!"

 _That voice…_ Ignoring how in-dignifying the position was, Izayoi knelt down and put her hands on the floor, looking at the speck curiously. "You're the voice who led me to Chichi-ue!"

"That I am! Myoga, at your service, ojou-san." The flea demon - he was even wearing tiny clothing! - bowed at her, and Izayoi covered her mouth to muffle her giggles.

"Please, Myoga, stop making a fool of yourself," the daiyōkai ordered, and the flea stopped. Izayoi immediately straightened herself up, controlling her features to appear just like the hime she was in front of what seemed to be the lady of the house.

 _If she's the lady of the house, that means…_

 _"I am the master of this castle."_

Shaking her head quickly, Izayoi tried her best to compose herself as the lady of the house looked at her, her purple lips twisting into an amused smile. The daiyōkai knelt in front of her, and said, "You carry yourself like a hime, ningen."

Against her will, Izayoi snapped, "My name is Izayoi." Eyes widening at what she had done, she immediately tried to take it back. "I'm the hime of the Nanase clan."

The lady of the house looked at her for a moment before she started to laugh. It was a light laughter, as if amused by something else on top of this. "I enjoy the spunk of this one, Myoga," she told the flea demon now sitting on her shoulder, and then she made eye contact with the human. "I am Inukimi, lady of the house."

"If you're the lady of the house, then doesn't that mean—?" Izayoi began to ask, before pursing her lips together.

Inukimi arched a thin eyebrow at her, her lips still in that amused smile. "Yes, the Hellhound and I were once married."

Izayoi's eyes widened, and Inukimi began to laugh again. "But—how—" Izayoi stuttered, shaking her head. "He's so—"

"Beastly?" Myoga suggested, and the Inukimi brushed him off her shoulder.

"I was going to say temperamental." Izayoi frowned at the flea, before looking up at Inukimi. She didn't notice how much the curiosity burned in her eyes, and Inukimi didn't bother hiding her smirk.

"He wasn't always that way. We've been waiting for quite a while for him to change." Inukimi tapped her cheek, smirking at Izayoi. "Who knows, though? Maybe it'll happen soon."

"What do you me—"

"Inukimi-sama! You mustn't tell her!" Myoga jumped up and down frantically. "You know what will happen if you do!"

"Haha-ue knows what she's doing, flea."

Izayoi quickly looked over. Staring at her from the doorway was a teenage boy - one that looked remarkably like Inukimi. He had the same facial structure, and long silver-white hair and matching gold eyes. The only difference between them was the stripes on his cheeks and the large fluffy mokomoko resting over his shoulder. He stared at her with cold gold eyes, almost glaring, and Izayoi automatically began to glare back.

Inukimi clapped her hands together lightly. "Sesshomaru, stop glaring at her. Izayoi-hime, this is my son, Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru, this is your father's guest, Izayoi-hime."

Sesshomaru "hmm"ed before turning around, leaving the room. Izayoi rolled her eyes. "I don't think he likes me that much," she muttered, before her eyes widened as her mind processed what _exactly_ Inukimi had said. "His—"

"I told you, he hasn't always been this way." Inukimi's eyes sparkled. "Now, how about getting ready for dinner?"

###

The Hellhound paced the dining area on all fours, two trays full of food waiting to be eaten. "What's taking so long?" he growled out. "Why isn't she here yet?!"

"Oh, try to be patient, sir." A humanoid yōkai breathed fire into the fireplace, before continuing, "The girl has lost her father and her freedom all in one day, and your temper isn't exactly helping."

"Be quiet, Totosai," Sesshomaru snapped at the blacksmith, and he quickly fell silent, all too accustomed to the temper of the teenager. _Keep this up and you'll become like your father, boy._

"Chichi-ue." Sesshomaru stepped in front of the pacing Hellhound, crossing his arms over his chest. "Do you honestly think that ningen might be the one to break the curse?"

"Of course I do!" the Hellhound snapped at him, stopping his pacing momentarily to snarl at him. "I'm not a fool."

"Good. You fall in love with her, she falls in love with you, and then the spell is broken, and I can leave this infernal place." Sesshomaru rolled his eyes upwards, as if thanking Kami for his good fortune.

"It's not that easy, Sesshomaru." Totosai pulled out a hammer and began to mold a hot piece of steel into a miniature sword. "These things take time."

"But the jewel is nearly complete!" Sesshomaru snapped. "If I'm stuck here forever because Chichi-ue is incapable of love—"

"Shut your trap, boy!" the Hellhound nearly roared at him, before his shoulders slumped, his entire demeanor changing. "This is hopeless. She's so beautiful, and I'm _this!"_

Sesshomaru just shrugged his shoulders and Totosai snorted. "Then make her see through all of that! You were fine as a boy!"

"That was years ago! I don't know where to start," the Hellhound ran his paws through his thick fur in aggravation.

"Well, you can start by making yourself more presentable," Sesshomaru spoke up. "You're only proving that priestess right acting like that. Straighten up."

The Hellhound growled lowly at his son, but when Sesshomaru didn't budge he straightened himself out, controlling his face into a neutral expression.

"Smile for once," Totosai piped up, finishing up the tiny sword and holding it up to see. The Hellhound tried his best, but he could feel his fangs poking out threateningly and jamming themselves onto his lips.

"Are you trying to scare her?" Sesshomaru snorted, shaking his head. "Try giving her compliments, Haha-ue loves it when she's complimented."

"Be gentle and sincere with her, girls don't appreciate liars, especially humans." Totosai added, before him and Sesshomaru said together as if it had been rehearsed, "And for the love of Kami, control your temper!"

The door slid open just a crack, and the Hellhound's head snapped towards it, eyes wide and expectant. But with a quick sniff, he could immediately tell that the human wasn't with his former wife even before she fully opened the door.

"Well, where is she?" the Hellhound growled, stalking forward to tower over Inukimi. Inukimi just looked up at him with her usual amused smile - the one that he constantly wanted to slap off her face. It was so _infuriating._

"Oh, Izayoi-hime?" Her smile widened. "She's not coming."

Silence. Then—

"WHAT?!"

Before anyone could stop him, the Hellhound ran to Izayoi's room, his blood boiling in anger. How _dare_ she - to just _refuse_ \- she had no idea who she was messing with—

Sliding to the door, he knocked on the wood of the doorway forcefully. "I thought I told you to come down to dinner!" he roared.

"Not hungry!" Izayoi called from inside, and his fur began to stand in anger.

"You'll come out or…I'll knock the door down!" the Hellhound snarled, eyes flashing in fury.

"Feel free!"

The Hellhound wanted to shake her for her impertinence but Totosai knocked onto his head with his hammer. When he turned to glare at the yōkai, Totosai just gave him a look and said, "At least _try_ to be nice."

"But she is being so…difficult!" Hellhound directed the last bit towards the door, but whether or not Izayoi heard or not didn't matter.

"Be gentle," Inukimi advised, only smiling innocently when her former husband turned to glare at her.

Dejectedly, the Hellhound turned back to the door and muttered, "Will you come down to dinner?"

"No!"

The Hellhound turned to look at the group surrounding him, pointing to the door accusingly. Inukimi, who was reminded very much of her son when he was younger, just made a 'go on' motion with her hands.

Sighing, the Hellhound tried again. "It would give me _great pleasure_ if you would join me for dinner." He didn't hide the annoyance in his voice very well, and Sesshomaru buried his face in his hands, groaning.

"Don't forget to say 'please'!" Myoga piped up from Totosai's shoulder, and the Hellhound nearly growled before he said through gritted teeth, "…please."

For just a moment, the Hellhound could practically see the human turning her nose away and huffing, before saying, "No, thank you."

That was when his temper snapped, and he yelled at the door, "You can't stay in there forever!"

"Watch me!"

"FINE!" The Hellhound turned and stalked away, leaving the others behind. Totosai sighed, as if he had been expecting this to happen, and he turned to look at Inukimi. "What now?"

"I'll go talk to her," she suggested. "You can come inside to meet Izayoi-hime. Sesshomaru, do you want to clean up the dinner or watch over the door with Myoga?"

"I'd rather clean than talk to her." Sesshomaru practically stomped away in anger, and Inukimi shook her head at how similar he really was to his father before sliding open the door to see Izayoi's surprised brown eyes.

"That went well, don't you think?" she said brightly.

###

The Hellhound ripped tapestries down onto the ground, growling as he paced in the dark. Letting out another roar, he stomped on a wooden table until it snapped in half.

"I ask nicely, she refuses," he snarled to himself. "What does she want me to do - _beg?_ " He rushed over to the small elevated table with a cover over a hovering jewel, snatching the mirror that rested on it. "Show me the girl!"

The mirror glowed green, before revealing Izayoi sitting up on her futon, her arms curled around one of the bigger pillows as she steadily refused to make eye contact with Inukimi.

"Just give him a chance, Izayoi-hime," Inukimi was asking, not pleading, but in a more tired voice - the one she had when Sesshomaru was being an impatient little pup.

Izayoi shook her head vigorously, her shoulders still shaking from her screaming match with him. "I don't _want_ to get to know him. I don't want to have anything to _do_ with him!"

And with that statement, the Hellhound's anger faded away, and he shut his eyes tightly. "I'm such a fool." His voice was different - gentler, filled with hopelessness. "She'll never see me as anything...but a monster." He turned his back to the table, somehow knowing even as he spoke that another shard of the Shikon no Tama joined the jewel. "It's hopeless…"

Meanwhile, Izayoi was dragged out of her room by Inukimi, who had 'suggested' (more like ordered) her to take a tour of the castle, led by the flea demon Myoga and the humanoid yōkai Totosai. Izayoi blinked and Inukimi seemed to be gone.

"That's not strange at all…" she muttered, looking around. "Well, it _is_ my first time in an enchanted castle," she mused, mostly to herself.

"Wha- this isn't an enchanted castle, hime! Who told you that?" Myoga jumped up and down on Totosai's shoulder, glaring at him. "It was you, wasn't it, Totosai?"

"No it wasn't, you buffoon—"

Izayoi laughed at their antics and said amusedly, "I figured it out for myself, actually."

"Oh." Myoga fell silent, and Totosai just shook his head and began to show the young human around. He liked her - she was feisty and wasn't afraid to talk back, even if the person she was talking back too was genuinely terrifying.

Izayoi listened to Totosai talk about the castle with one ear, mostly just looking around. Instead of her curiosity being sated, it only grew the more she walked. What did the Hellhound do to get all of this? Why was it so brightly lit and yet look so creepy? How did it stay so warm without any wind chilling her feet?

Through the corner of her eye, she spotted a darkened staircase. Interest piqued, she turned to look at it, and approached it slowly. What could be up there?

She only took a few steps up the stairs before Totosai suddenly appeared in front of her, and Myoga began to jump frantically. "Not this way, hime!"

They _really_ weren't curbing her curiosity.

"What's up there?" Izayoi asked suspiciously, sidestepping the yōkai and continuing up the stairs, before he appeared in front of her again.

"Nothing!" Myoga told her frantically. "Absolutely nothing of interest at all in the West Wing. Dusty, dull, very boring, you wouldn't want to go there, hime—"

"Oh, so _that's_ the West Wing." Izayoi smirked, remembering how fiercely the Hellhound had told her that the West Wing was forbidden. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him…

"Nice going, Myoga," Totosai muttered to the flea, flicking him away momentarily to block Izayoi's path once again.

"I wonder what he's hiding up there…" Izayoi mused, mostly to herself, forgetting the two yōkai with her. She couldn't help her curiosity - her curiosity had caused her to discover important things, even if it did drive her father crazy.

"The master is hiding nothing!" Myoga squeaked, and Totosai rubbed his face of how obvious the flea was being.

"Then it wouldn't be forbidden," Izayoi retorted, now determined to go up there to see what all the fuss was about. _They_ clearly knew what was up there, and if Izayoi had money she would've bet that Inukimi and Sesshomaru would know too. She tried to go up the stairs again, but Totosai was surprisingly agile.

"Perhaps Izayoi-hime would like to see something else. We have a great forge right on the castle grounds…" Totosai piped up, trying to distract her from her curiosity of the West Wing.

"Maybe later," Izayoi answered distractedly as she tried to continue forward, but then Myoga piped up, "The gardens, or maybe the library?"

Izayoi's eyes widened and sparkled when she looked directly at them. "You have a library?" she asked eagerly, momentarily not thinking about her goal to to the West Wing. A real actual library? She didn't even have this at her own home!

Totosai seemed to sigh in relief at finding something that interested the human princess. Kami, humans were a handful… "Indeed we do, hime."

Myoga nodded in agreement eagerly. "More books and scrolls than you'll ever be able to read in a lifetime! Books that came from the continent, scrolls every author who ever set brush to paper…"

Totosai began to lead her to it, with Myoga still rambling on his shoulder. Izayoi began to follow them eagerly, before turning back to look at the staircase. Maybe if she took a quick peek then she could catch up with Totosai and Myoga and they wouldn't notice…

She practically skipped up the stairs as best as she could with a kimono on, looking around in excitement. It died the minute she entered the hallway leading to a great set of doors.

Everything seemed to be broken or clawed. There were torn pieces of tapestry everywhere, and as she walked past there was a broken mirror still partly in their frame. As she passed, each shard showed her shocked expression.

She reached the end of the hallway, right in front of the door. For a single moment, Izayoi hesitated. Should she really do this?

 _Too late to back out now…_ Taking a deep breath, she slid the two doors apart with difficultly, but when she did, her eyes widened dramatically.

If she thought that the hallway was bad, it was nothing compared to _this_. Everything was so destroyed that she could barely tell what it was anymore. She looked around, shivering when cold air blew in from the open window. She wrapped her arms around herself, still looking, and then stopped at seeing a painted scroll.

She approached it slowly, drawn to it. It was shredded, right over what seemed to be a face. The only thing she could see was serious gold eyes and silver hair pulled up in a high ponytail. She reached out, about to pull up the shredded part back up to reveal the entire face, when she noticed a pink glow.

Izayoi turned to look at what was causing the glow, and she gasped softly. There, on the elevated table, with a bell case over it, was a hovering jewel. It glowed pink, innocently, and she approached it, transfixed. As she came close to it, she noticed how the jewel seemed to be missing shards. Brushing some of her hair away from her face, she took off the case and reached out to touch it.

A shadow fell over her just before she could touch it. Snapping out of the trance she had been in, she turned to look at who was causing the shadow. Deep in her stomach, she knew who it was.

The Hellhound's breath caused a mist in the cold air as he breathed heavily, gold eyes shrouded in blood red, and Izayoi scrambled back. He snatched the jar back over the jewel, holding it there protectively for just a few moments, and then turned his attention to Izayoi.

"Why did you come here?" he growled lowly, and terror pierced Izayoi's heart.

"I-I'm sorry!" Izayoi leaned against what seemed to be a broken mast of wood, trying her best to hide from his view. "I-I didn't mean too—"

"I warned you never to come here! Do you realize what you could have done?" The Hellhound released the anger that had been building up on his chest, and he began to trash the furniture around them even more. Izayoi scrambled back, heading towards the door.

"Please, stop! No!" Was she crying? Izayoi couldn't tell. All she could concentrate on was how much _anger_ he had in him, in how his claws could very easily tear into _her_ next—

"Get out! GET OUT!" he roared at her, and for once in her life, Izayoi did what she was told.

The Hellhound's chest heaved, slowly calming himself down, before his eyes widened. _What have I done?_ he though mournfully. He covered his face with one hand in despair, knowing without any doubt that he destroyed any chance he could've had with her.

Izayoi was rushing down the staircase, grabbing a haori she spotted nearby and pulling it on. Fumbling, grateful she had never bothered to take off her zori, she headed towards the main entrance.

"Promise or no promise, I can't stay here another minute!" she muttered to herself in despair, opening the door, ignoring Myoga's yells for her to wait.

Grateful that the horse had stayed where he was, she quickly mounted him, and took off into the forest. The snow was making it hard to move, but she pressed forward, determined to just go back home with her father and brush off this experience as a dream. The horse suddenly stopped, and as soon as Izayoi looked up she discovered why.

Wolves. Wolves with excessive amount of froth in their mouths with the fangs for the viewing. And she knew who they wanted for their next meal. Urging the horse forward, she ran from side to side, making the wolves hit the trees. She looked back momentarily to see how they were going, before the horse fell into a lake covered with ice and snow. The weight of both the horse and the princess made the ice break, and the wolves dove in. Some began to drown, but most of them continued coming.

"Come on, come on, come on!" Izayoi began to chant as the horse pulled himself out and continued to run into the forest. They had managed to make it into a clearing, but the wolves had seemed to anticipate that and had been waiting. They jumped out, slowly surrounding Izayoi and the horse. The horse nickered in fear, and bulked, making Izayoi fall off.

Pulling her face away from the freezing snow, she looked at how the wolves began to surround the horse who had somehow gotten his reins tried to a tree branch. Snatching up a nearby stick, she jumped over them, beating the wolves away with the stick. It was going pretty well before a wolf caught the stick in its mouth and snapped it in half.

"Oh boy," she muttered to herself, pressing herself even more into the horse, as if doing so would prevent the wolf from pouncing her. But it did, and even though she wanted to close her eyes, she just _couldn't_. She let out a mangled scream, and then—

The wolf was caught mid-air, by something whose fur was just as white as the snow. And the Hellhound roared.

The Hellhound threw the wolf away, making it slam against a tree. Another wolf, determined to avenge his comrade, jumped at him, and the Hellhound swatted it away as if it were Myoga. He cracked his neck, positioning himself between Izayoi and the wolves.

Izayoi could hardly believe what she was seeing. Wolf after wolf went after the Hellhound, and he took it all in stride. None of them were getting a scratch on him, but when one wolf's claw caught the Hellhound's arm, making it bleed red through the fur, they concentrated on that spot. The Hellhound didn't let that deteriorate him, and finally he managed to throw them all off, and they ran away, whimpering.

The Hellhound turned to look at Izayoi, his eyes glazed as he struggled to look at her. When he saw that she was unharmed, he actually looked _relieved_ \- that was, of course, until he swayed in spot. He obviously wasn't unaffected by the wolves, and he let out a whimper before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed against the ground.

Izayoi pressed a hand to her chest, trying to take everything in. She was alive? She could go back home now? Eagerly, she turned to mount the horse, before stopping at hearing a soft whimper, as if it were coming from a kicked puppy. Her shoulders slumped down at the sound, and her eyes widened.

 _He…he saved me. He was so angry before, and he scared me, but he_ saved _me. He got injured because of me. He risked his life for me…_

And with that thought in mind, Izayoi pulled the horse closer to the Hellhound to mount him on top of the horse to take him back to the enchanted castle.

###

The fireplace crackled, radiating warmth all throughout the room as Totosai constantly blew fire into it. Myoga hovered around him, eyeing his master sitting on the chair he had gotten from the Continent with claw marks on his arm. Inukimi and Sesshomaru stood nearby, not saying a word, although they both looked just mildly concerned.

Izayoi didn't notice any of that, only concentrating on soaking the rag with hot water that Sesshomaru had given her. She turned to the Hellhound, noticing how he was beginning to lick his wounds like a dog would.

"Oh, don't do that," she immediately said, and the Hellhound only growled at her. She ignored him, determined to clean the wound. She tried to do so with the rag, but the Hellhound kept moving his arm. "Hold still!" she ordered, using what her father had deemed as her princess voice, which made the Hellhound stop for just the right amount of time for her to press the rag to his wound.

The Hellhound roared, and both Totosai and Myoga moved back. Sesshomaru just flinched slightly, and Inukimi mourned the last chance she had of being able to return to her sky castle.

"That hurts!" the Hellhound roared directly in her face, only making her close her eyes against his breath, but that didn't stop her from snapping her eyes open to glare at him.

"If you'd hold still, it wouldn't hurt as much!" she retorted, eyes narrowing at him.

"Well, if you hadn't run away, this wouldn't have happened!" he growled back smugly, convinced that he had won the argument.

"Well, if you hadn't frightened me, I wouldn't have run away!" Izayoi gestured with one arm to the door.

The Hellhound opened his mouth to retort, but closed it as he found nothing to say. What to say, what to say…suddenly remembering, he raised an eyebrow as he said, "Well, you shouldn't have been in the West Wing!"

"Well, you should learn to control your temper!" Izayoi snapped, hands curled into fists as she stared him down. The Hellhound raised his hand to bring up another point, but then he slowly realized he had none, so he lowered it and his head. Maybe she was right…maybe he really _did_ need to learn how to control his temper.

Inukimi raised an thin eyebrow, impressed at seeing how such a tiny human managed to shut up the Hellhound. Totosai and Myoga felt braver to come closer now that Izayoi had controlled their master, and Sesshomaru let out a small sigh of relief.

Once again, Izayoi didn't notice them, and only grabbed onto his injured arm, biting her lip. "Now, hold still. This may sting a little," she warned, but her eyes conveyed worry for him as she pressed the rag onto his injury as gently as she could. The Hellhound gritted his teeth, closing his eyes tightly, only allowing a surprised hiss go through them. Her angry suggestion was still very much on his mind.

Izayoi bit the inside of her cheek, before daring to say, "By the way, I never said thank you."

The Hellhound opened his eyes, looking surprised. "What for?" he asked gruffly.

"For saving my life." And for the first time, Izayoi met his eyes with no fear or anger in them. "Thank you."

The Hellhound stared at her, in awe of everything that she was. The only thing he could manage to say back was, "You're welcome."


	2. Tale as Old as Time

The Hellhound, standing in his balcony, looked down as Izayoi walked with Inukimi through the gardens. She was wearing a new kimono, this one a pretty green color. She threw her head back to laugh, and the sound of it reached his ears, making it twitch.

He looked down at the bandage wrapped around his injured arm. Something in his chest skipped a beat, and startled, he realized that was his _heart_. And why did he feel something warmth traveling through his veins? He felt like he could fight a pack of wolves any day of the week if it meant that Izayoi was nearby.

"I've never felt this way about anyone," he murmured to himself, putting a hand on his bandage. "I want to do something for her," he decided, actually smiling at the thought. Then his eyebrows furrowed, and he frowned. "But what?" He said it mostly to himself, but directed it towards Totosai too. He had no idea what human girls liked - he had no idea what _Izayoi_ liked.

"Well, there's the usual things you could give her." The blacksmith began to number things off with his fingers. "Flowers, sweets, promises you don't intend to keep…"

The Hellhound frowned at Totosai, but Myoga only hit Totosai on the shoulder with a miniature fan. "No, no, no! It has to be something very special. Something that sparks Izayoi-hime's interest—I know!" Myoga jumped onto the Hellhound's head and began to whisper into his ear. The Hellhound's anxiety instantly spiked.

And somehow, the Hellhound found himself in a hallway he wasn't normally in, waiting for Izayoi nervously as she approached him.

"Izayoi, there's something I want to show you," he said nervously, going to open the door before stopping, coming up with an idea at the spot. "You have to close your eyes first."

Izayoi raised an eyebrow, questioning him without having to say a word, and to the Hellhound's surprise he actually wanted to _laugh_ in amusement.

"It's a surprise!" he assured her.

Izayoi rolled her eyes at him, but closed them, and he smiled triumphantly. Just to be sure, he waved his paw in front of her face to see if she would flinch, and when she didn't, he slid open the door wide open. Actually _grinning_ , he took her dainty hands without thinking, and began to step backwards, leading her in.

"Can I open them?" Izayoi finally asked, the balls of her feet practically bouncing when he stopped her.

"Not yet. Just wait." He looked around, glad that Sesshomaru frequented this place enough to keep it dust-free. "Wait here." Letting go of her hands, immediately missing the feel of them, he walked over to where giant curtains hung over the windows. He moved them to the side, letting sunlight enter the room.

Izayoi reflexively flinched when the light hit her face, and she moved her face around as she let the heat of the sun warm her face. Eyes still closed, she asked, " _Now_ can I open them?"

"All right." The Hellhound bit his lip, hoping that both Myoga and his gut were right. "Now."

Izayoi opened her eyes slowly and gasped, putting her hands over her mouth as her eyes struggled to take everything in at once. There seemed to be scrolls everywhere, just ripe for reading, and if her eyes didn't deceive her, there were books from the continent there as well. It went up for floors and floors, just filled to the brim.

"I can't believe it," she whispered, letting her hands fall as she twirled around in a circle to see every centimeter of this magnificent place. "I've never seen so many scrolls in all my life!" She walked around him, just drinking the room in, and he twirled around with her.

"You—you like it?" the Hellhound asked eagerly, his chest warming up at just seeing the smile on her face.

"It's wonderful!" She clasped her hands together, eyes wide and childlike.

"Then it's yours!" He didn't care if Sesshomaru got angry at him for giving her the library. He didn't care about what anyone else said about his rash decision. All he wanted to do was make sure that smile and that look in her eye never faded.

Izayoi stopped, eyes widening as she heard him. "Really?" she whispered, turning to look at him in disbelief and hope.

The Hellhound nodded, and she immediately grabbed his paws, squeezing them. "Oh, thank you so much!"

His eyes widened at seeing that brilliant smile of hers being shown to _him_ , after everything he's done…Without meaning too, he returned the smile.

Izayoi released his hands and rushed towards one of the scrolls, pulling them out to open them. "Do you have any on medical herbs?" she called, eyes scanning the open scroll.

"Probably," he answered, rubbing the back of his head. "I haven't been here in a while, so I don't know where they are," he admitted sheepishly.

Izayoi turned her head to look at him and beamed. "No worries, looking for them is half of the fun!"

His breath caught, and his mind began to race, taking every word she said in consideration. "Do you like herbs, Izayoi?"

"I love to study them in the forest. It's just so interesting to know how they look and work in their environments, and how something so small could actually save a life." Izayoi put the scroll back in its place neatly. "I kept track of the ones that were near my castle, but I'm afraid I ran out of herbs to study." She sighed, disappointed.

The Hellhound's mind racing, he knew exactly what he had to do for the next day.

"This is very encouraging," Myoga spoke aloud as he watched from the doorway, watching the tiny human dart around and pull out scrolls and reading them, while the Hellhound followed her to carry the ones she wanted to read in depth. It was strangely adorable.

"About time, I need more material to make my swords." Totosai let out a breath. "Do you know how many times I need to beg before the big oaf brings me things to make weapons with?"

"So many times it becomes pitiful," Sesshomaru snorted, before looking at his mother. "Haha-ue, do you honestly believe that Chichi-ue is going to find love with this ningen?"

Inukimi nodded, smiling slightly. "I believe he will, Sesshomaru."

"But he hated humans! And so did you," Sesshomaru recalled, thinking back on his earlier memories of his life.

"I never _hated_ humans, I just…saw them as playthings." Inukimi smiled innocently at her son. "Spending prolonged amount of time in here, though, and occasionally borrowing your father's magic mirror to watch what is happening in the outside world, I'm now just very much neutral about them. They're still amusing to watch, though."

Sesshomaru snorted, glaring at her slightly. "Why do we even need someone else for Chichi-ue to fall in love with? You're right here, you two were married - why did _she_ have to come here?" he growled out. As much as he had 'helped' his father, the question still burned in his mind.

Inukimi threw her head back and laughed. "My dear son, our marriage was nothing more than a political one. We never truly loved each other the way that the miko wanted him to love, and never would. We need the princess." She put a hand on his shoulder, smiling. "Besides, he's already given her your library."

Sesshomaru let out a rather uncharacteristic groan. " _Fine_. I'll tolerate her."

"Sesshomaru-sama is just bitter about Izayoi-hime being brave enough to glare back when he glared at her," Myoga told Totosai, and hid in the blacksmith's hair when Sesshomaru swatted at her.

Inukimi laughed once more, glancing back into the library. Izayoi was excitedly pointing things out to the Hellhound, while he hung to her every world with eyes filled with adoration.

 _There may be something there that wasn't there before…_

###

The next day, Izayoi went down when asked and ate with the Hellhound, eating her breakfast eagerly before looking up at him. Her eyes widened at seeing how he ate with his hands quite messily, and she giggled behind her hand.

"What?" he asked her gruffly, his defenses rising up. "Can't exactly eat with chopsticks with these things—"

Izayoi raised a hand to stop him, smiling gently. "When I was younger, I was quite a messy eater," she confessed. "It drove Haha-ue insane, so before I learned how to use the chopsticks she taught me how to eat with my hands and not make a mess. Here, let me show you." Picking up her bowl of broth, she lifted it up to her mouth and took a dainty sip of it.

The Hellhound stared at her, before cleaning himself off with a cloth that Inukimi offered him from her own seat, smirking. Delicately, he picked up his own bowl of broth, trying to avoid cracking it with his claws. He lifted it up to his mouth and hesitantly took a sip of it - and then gulped down the entire thing easily.

Izayoi laughed. "That's good! I'm jealous, I can never finish my food that quickly."

The fur beneath his cheeks heated up, and he looked down at his hands as Izayoi hummed to herself, in a much better mood than she had been jus days before. He peeked up at her, taking in how her skin seemed to shine brightly, and her eyes sparkled.

"I, um." The Hellhound cleared his throat, and tried again. "I…I never said it before, but…I'm sorry."

Izayoi's hands stopped bringing up the chopsticks that held a piece of meat, and she looked at him curiously. "What for, exactly?" she ventured to ask, remembering just where her curiosity had gotten herself into on her first day in the castle.

"For…ya know, scaring you. And my temper." He scratched his head sheepishly, refusing to make eye contact with her. Sesshomaru's eyes widened in shock, and Inukimi arched up an eyebrow. Totosai fell over, so shocked about his master actually apologizing.

Myoga squeaked and immediately jumped onto the Hellhound's neck, sucking some blood out. Growling, the Hellhound slapped his neck, letting the flea float to his hand before picking him up between two claws. "What was that for, flea?"

"I was checking that you were actually the master, sir!" Myoga wiggled around, trying to escape. "You never apologize!"

The Hellhound snarled and flicked him away, making him fall into Totosai's cup of tea. Izayoi put a hand over her mouth, shoulders shaking, and the Hellhound turned to look at her with wide eyes. It came to a point that Izayoi could no longer hold it in, and she burst out laughing, gripping her stomach.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she choked out, wiping her eyes free from tears as she struggled to compose herself. "It's just…we have a lot more in common than I first thought."

"We do?" How exactly was that possible? Izayoi was a princess - one that was a messy eater as a child - and she was kind and feisty and selfless. He was nothing but cruel and dark inside. How exactly were they similar?

"I don't like to apologize, either," she confessed. "I get very annoyed when I have to. I like to believe I'm always right, even when I know I'm not." She shrugged, cheeks tinting pink.

"It's not wrong to not like to apologize," the Hellhound immediately said. "It's humiliating, it's admitting you did something wrong…"

"That is so very true." Izayoi put down her chopsticks, and fingered her kimono. "I need more kimonos than the ones that were in my bag," she muttered to herself.

"Izayoi-hime, we have plenty of kimonos just for you." Inukimi put a hand on her shoulder, smirking directly at the Hellhound. "Why don't we look at some and try them on?"

Izayoi nodded eagerly, standing up to leave with Inukimi. Stopping, she turned to the Hellhound and bowed at him, and before she could leave the Hellhound mustered up his courage and spoke.

"After you get some new kimonos, do you mind if I take you somewhere?" he asked nervously, tapping his claws onto his other paw. "I promise you'll like it."

When Izayoi smiled, his nervousness melted away. He honestly thought he could do anything as long as Izayoi never stopped smiling at him. It was a strange and frightening feeling, but a _nice_ one.

"Of course! I'll see you—" was all she was able to say before she was dragged off by Inukimi, who had clearly been starving for another female mind, being stuck in here with men.

"Humans are quite foolish if you ask me," Sesshomaru snorted, shaking his head. "Worrying so much about kimonos…actually smiling at Chichi-ue…"

"Shut it, boy." The Hellhound swatted at his son's head.

###

"Where are you taking me this time? And why did I have to take my bag with me?" Izayoi asked, her voice laced in amusement, jogging slightly to keep up with the Hellhound's longer steps. When he noticed her doing so, he immediately slowed down for her sake.

"Just wait, you'll love it," he assured her, more self-confident than he had been when showing her the library. He led her outside, walking in the snow. He knelt down and began to sweep aside branches, and let her pass. When she did, her eyes widened.

"The wonders of this place never ends, does it?" she said softly, slowly falling to her knees and reaching out to touch a flower covered in frost. "Is this what I think it is…?"

"An herb garden, just for you." The Hellhound crouched down to be eye level with her. "These are the medical herbs that grow specifically in the winter - I thought you'd like to study it before it ends."

Izayoi beamed at him and put a hand on his arm, eyes twinkling. "You know, you're surprisingly thoughtful," she teased.

"Whaddya mean, _surprisingly_?" The Hellhound arched an eyebrow at her, and she just laughed, shaking her head at him. He snorted, recognizing the joke, and pulled out a small bag he had brought with him.

"Oh, what's in the bag?" Izayoi asked before she could stop herself, and covered her mouth apologetically.

The Hellhound looked at her, trying to reassure her that it was okay to ask questions, that he was trying his best to control his temper just like she'd told him too. "The birds like to pick on the herbs around this time of day, and I thought I'd distract them with these—" He shook the bag for her to hear the small sounds within, and with all her years of studying, Izayoi recognized that seeds were inside the bag, "—while you studied."

"That's so sweet of you! Thank you." Izayoi touched his arm gratefully, before pulling out her small notebook from her bag and flipped to a new page, absorbing herself into studying the new plant and jotting down notes with some charcoal.

Izayoi felt like hours had passed before she looked up to ask the Hellhound how he was doing. She immediately stopped and looked at him, covering her mouth to muffle her giggles. The Hellhound had somehow stood so still, that even though he wore a bright red haori as an extra layer for warmth, the birds mistook him for part of the scenery and were standing on him curiously. From what she could see, they were pecking on seeds he had littered onto his shoulders. She looked at him, and thought for the first time just how _kind_ he was being - had been ever since the incident with the wolves, really.

She bit her lip, turning her head away to look down at her notebook, but didn't write anything down. This was uncharted territory in her feelings - something she had never dared to breach, which was ironic considering how much she enjoyed traveling through uncharted territory. It was alarming, what she was feeling for him. She hadn't expected it. She hadn't _planned_ it.

Glancing at him again, a mischievous smile began to form as an idea popped into her mind. Casually, as to not make him suspicious, she leaned down, gathering snow into her hands. Shaping it together, she made sure it properly looked like a snowball before she stood up, turned around, and threw it at him.

The Hellhound spluttered, too concentrated on keeping the birds away that he hadn't sensed her moving, and turned to give her a dirty eye. She wiggled her fingers at him innocently, as if to say hello, and he smirked. Gathering a big amount of snow, he quickly molded it into a ball and held it up over his head, ready to throw it at her - but he wasn't really aiming at her, he was aiming for the tree behind her.

Izayoi didn't let him do so. The clever princess had actually made _two_ snowballs, hiding one behind her back. She threw it at him with perfect aim, and it landed on his face, which in term made him lose his grip on _his_ snowball and have all the snow land of his head.

Izayoi laughed, and then squeaked when he began to approach her with a mischievous look in his eyes. She quickly hid behind the tree, and the Hellhound played along, moving around it. But Izayoi continued to move, pressing herself against the tree trunk, and threw another snowball at him when he appeared around the tree.

Seeing his white fur covered in leftover seeds and snow was too much for Izayoi, and she began to laugh, clutching her stomach and moving to the side. Unfortunately, her foot caught on a root as she moved, making her fall to the ground. She stopped laughing, squeaking instead as her body was covered in snow.

"Are you okay?!" Izayoi didn't have time to answer before the Hellhound picked her up around the waist, placing her on her feet. He began to brush the snow off of her, concern clear in his eyes, and something melted inside of her heart.

"I'm fine - thank you for your concern," she assured him.

"Let's go back inside to warm you up." Taking off his haori, he offered it to her shyly. Accepting it with a soft smile, she pulled it on and nodded in agreement.

###

Sitting in front of the fire, Izayoi spotted towards the Hellhound, trying to catch every word he was saying. "So how did you escape from the blocked door? Weren't they covered in sutras?"

"As if sutras could contain _me."_ The Hellhound puffed out his chest in pride, and all Izayoi did was roll her eyes. Chuckling softly, he continued, "And it was easy - they placed a sutra right in the middle, where the sliding doors close together."

"So?"

" _So_ , you impatient hime—" Izayoi flushed, but didn't say a word, "is that they had locked me in an _armory._ That was loaded up with _mortal_ swords. I picked one up and slipped it through the crack, and began to cut away at it. It works for anything that someone would use to block a door - spear, sutra. Just use something sharp and you're free."

"In just _how_ many situations have you gotten yourself into that involves you obtaining this knowledge?" Izayoi crossed her arms over her chest, raising an single eyebrow at him.

"Oi! Just what are you implying, woman?" he growled out jokingly.

"Oh, nothing." She waved her hand at him, dismissing the issue, and he let it go to just enjoy the moment.

And so became their daily routine - they would eat breakfast together before going to the library, where Izayoi would look up the herbs they had in the garden and compare the notes she had written the what was on the scroll. More often than not, she slowly began to teach the Hellhound the different types of herbs, and how to distinguish which ones were poisonous and which ones would save your life. After that, they would go to the herb garden, and the Hellhound would watch over Izayoi as she studied more herbs. Once she was done, they would go back inside into the castle and eat dinner in front of the fire, just _talking_.

The Hellhound told her about how unhappy he had been when he had been ordered to marry Inukimi - "It was purely a political marriage," he hastily assured her - and Izayoi confessed about being the 'odd princess' back home, and how she had always felt bad whenever she did something that made her happy. And the Hellhound listened, and never tried to defend the people back home - just _listened_. And for some reason, that helped Izayoi more than she would've ever thought.

And so the snow melted, and winter disappeared to be replaced by spring. The flowers began to bloom, and the wildlife came back to life. And unbeknown to Izayoi, more shards joined the Shikon no Tama, slowly completing it.

And then, the night came. The one that could change everything.

"Tonight is the night!" Myoga yelled excitedly as the Hellhound bathed, getting ready for the one thing he wasn't sure he could conquer.

"I'm not sure I can do this," the Hellhound confessed as he pushed fur out of his eyes to look at Myoga.

"You don't have time to be timid, master! You must be bold, daring!" Myoga urged him, clapping his hands together.

"Bold. Daring," the Hellhound muttered to himself, puffing up his chest. Deciding that he was clean enough, he stood up and shook himself dry. Myoga only didn't tell him how dog-like he was acting for fear of his own safety.

"There will be music," Myoga went through the plan for the night with him as the Hellhound began to get ready. "Romantic candlelight, giant ballroom that took forever to clean, and when the time is right, you confess your love."

The Hellhound stared at himself in the mirror, momentarily inspired. "Yes, I - Izayoi, I—" He deflated, shaking his head rapidly. "No, I can't do it."

"You care for Izayoi-hime, don't you?" Myoga asked indignantly, making his shoulder a good few times.

The Hellhound grunted in anger. "You know I do! More than anything."

Then you must _tell_ her, master." Myoga jumped off the Hellhound's shoulder just a few moments before Sesshomaru opened the door, glancing at his father.

"I'm shocked, Chichi-ue." For a moment, Sesshomaru actually sounded like he was _teasing_ , and the Hellhound feared that he might have been spending too much time with Izayoi - the young teenager _had_ been in the library at the same as Izayoi a few times, and he went from hating her to silently respecting her while thinking she was still annoying. "The princess finished getting ready before you."

"That's because your mother is with her and your mother gets things done in a flash while I'm stuck with a _flea_ ," the Hellhound growled, pulling on a haori as he walked towards the door.

Sesshomaru nodded, accepting the answer, and stepped aside to let his father pass. The Hellhound glared at him before turning his eyes towards the landing of the grand staircase. His breath caught in his throat.

Izayoi was beautiful. She looked up at him with glittering brown eyes and pink eyeshadow, and her long black hair had a pink flower tucked into it, somehow holding it up - probably Inukimi's work. And most of the time, she wore only two layers of simple kimonos for easy moving, but today she was wearing multiple layers that somehow she was still easily moving in them. They were colorful, with the outermost one a pretty pink covered in flowers - something so _Izayoi_ that he couldn't help staring from the top of the stairs. Suddenly he felt very inadequate in his simple blue-violet hakama, with a white suikan and a purple haori.

He felt a bony arm nudge his side, and he turned to glare at Totosai. For once, Totosai didn't flinch, just gave him a "go on" look. Clearing his throat, the Hellhound walked down the stairs, ignoring the urge to jump down just to show off.

Reaching the landing, Izayoi approached him with a wide smile, which he eagerly returning. He bowed, which shocked her as it was the woman who bowed first, but she shook off the thought and she returned it, unable to contain her smile.

Grinning, the Hellhound offered her his paw, and she took it without any fear, only eagerness as they walked down the rest of the stairs together. Inukimi smiled softly from a few meters away, standing next to her son. Snapping her fingers, music began to play through various yōkai-filled instruments that Totosai had made that would play a song accordingly. Without even realizing it, she opened her mouth and began to sing.

 _"Tale as old as time…"_ she started softly, watching them as they descended. _"True as it can be…Barely even friends, then somebody bends unexpectedly."_ She laughed softly, remembering Izayoi's first day in the castle. Oh, how much has changed.

She followed them into the dining area, where an entire small table had been set up filled with food for them. They sat across from each other, with the Hellhound actually eating with _chopsticks_ \- albeit shakily, with his other paw pushing his clothing back so that it wouldn't get dirty. Izayoi smiled at him proudly when she saw his efforts.

 _"Just a little change, small to say the least,"_ Inukimi continued as she watched Izayoi stand up before even finishing with her dinner, rushing to the Hellhound's side of the table and grabbing his hands, pulling him up.

 _"Both a little scared, neither one prepared, beauty and the beast."_ Inukimi smiled softly, amused as the pair passed her without even noticing her - each other the only thing they could concentrate on. They walked together to the ballroom, brightly lit and a gleaming gold, and Izayoi led the Hellhound to the middle. Grabbing his hands to place them onto her waist to dance, the Hellhound swallowed, actually scared.

Izayoi took a step closer to him, smiling at him reassuringly, and pulled him into a dance - something that wasn't traditional, or choreographed, or even from the Continent. It was something purely _them_ , and the Hellhound slowly got the hang of it, growing more confident with every second, before it was _him_ leading _her_.

 _"Ever just the same, ever a surprise…"_ Inukimi sang more strongly now, her heart melting at seeing just how much her former husband had changed. And it was all because of this small, human princess. _"Ever as before, ever just as sure, as the sun will rise…!"_

 _"Tale as old as time,"_ Inukimi sang, her voice flowing with the music as she swayed in her spot. _"Tune as old as song…Bittersweet and strange, finding you can change, learning you were wrong…"_

The two of them twirled around the ballroom, not saying a word, just enjoying what they were doing. Izayoi didn't seem capable of tripping over her many layers, but the Hellhound still kept a firm grip on her, her safety of upmost importance to him.

 _"Certain as the sun rising in the east,"_ Inukimi's voice never wavered, and her eyes sparkled as she could clearly see Izayoi and the Hellhound smiling at each other, before she nuzzled herself closer to him, resting her head on his chest. The Hellhound's eyes widened, looking at her before looking up and actually _grinning_ towards them. Totosai gave him a thumbs up as Myoga jumped up and down in celebration, and even Sesshomaru gave him an approving nod.

 _"Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, beauty and the beast…"_ And with that, the music began to get slower, and so did her own voice began to soften. Totosai somehow managed to dim the lights - no doubt he ate some flames - and Inukimi finished with a soft smile, _"Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, beauty and the beast."_

And with that, the music faded, until it was just the Hellhound and Izayoi slowly stopping their dance as the Hellhound led her outside. Inukimi smiled, before beginning to shoo the men out to give them some space. She closed the door of the ballroom with a twinkle in her eyes.

The Hellhound led Izayoi out, still not talking, but that was okay. They were comfortable with each other at this point, and when he offered her a seat on a nearby bench, she took it. She began to fiddle with her kimonos, smoothing them out as the Hellhound sat down next to her. He took a deep breath, remembering Myoga's advice, before sliding closer to her.

"Izayoi?" When she looked up at him, he took her hands into his paws, looking at her almost shyly. "Are you…happy here with me?"

"Of course," she answered immediately, looking at him almost fondly, before she bit her lip and looked away. She wasn't necessarily _lying_ , but there was something that she wanted, more than anything…

The Hellhound immediately noticed something wrong with her, and he asked in concern, "What is it?"

She still looked away from him, not making eye contact, but her hands squeezed his. "If only I could see my father again, just for a moment." This time she met her eyes, almost pleading with him. "I miss him so much."

The Hellhound stopped, looking away in disappointment. He wanted to help Izayoi in any way that he could, but how when she had promised to stay in here forever? And it wasn't like her father would ever come back here again out of his own free will.

A flash of green light went through his memories, and he looked up at her and said, "There is a way."

Izayoi looked up at him curiously, and her lips formed a fond smile as he pulled her up and began to lead her out. Recognizing the way to the West Wing, her eyes widened as he led her up there willingly. She hadn't been back there since the incident with the wolves…did that mean…?

It was still a mess, but it seemed to be an orderly mess now - something the Hellhound could only understand. Following him to the elevated table that held the hovering pink jewel, he picked up something else that was on it - a pale blue mirror.

"This mirror will show you anything, anything you wish to see." He picked it up, handing it over to her eagerly. She took it gingerly, looking at her reflection in hesitance.

"I'd like to see my father, please," she said slowly, and then flinched and looked away as green light began to spark out of the mirror. Cracking open one eye when it died down, her eyes widened at not seeing her reflection, but her father.

She gasped at what she saw. He was laying on his futon, sweat coming from every pore in his body, and he began to cough erratically. He kept muttering something under his breath, and the sound amplified until she understood what he was saying: "Izayoi."

Her heart bled. "Oh, Chichi-ue…" she whispered, clutching the mirror tightly. "He was so worried about me, he got sick…he may be dying, and the servants don't know the herbs to cure him like I do…" She looked up at the Hellhound desperately, tears swimming in her vision.

The Hellhound turned away, only looking at the nearly completed Shikon no Tama. His paw hovered over it, before he closed it into a fist. He knew what he had to do. Izayoi's happiness was first priority - nothing else mattered.

"Then…" He closed his eyes tightly, turning away to not look at her. If he looked at her, then he would just take it all back. "T-then you must go to him."

"What did you say?" Izayoi said softly, coming closer to him, not believing her ears. Was he trying to say what she thought he was? Was he actually going to…?

"I release you." The Hellhound opened his eyes, slowly turning his head back to look at her. "You are no longer my prisoner."

"You mean…" She took a step back in amazement, eyes widening and her lips twitching upwards - not in a smile, but in disbelief. "I-I'm free?"

"Yes." It was nothing more than a breathy answer, dejected as he looked at her, but her mind was racing, trying to think of everything at the same time. She was free, allowed to leave. The herbs she needed to cure Chichi-ue were all in the herb garden at the front of the castle, she could grab them on the way out…

"Oh, thank you!" She put a hand on his paws, the look in her eyes grateful, before looking at the magic mirror. "Hold on, Chichi-ue. I'm on my way." She turned to leave, before looking down at the mirror. She bit her lip, before turning back and offering it back to the Hellhound.

"Take it with you." The Hellhound gently pushed the mirror back towards her. "So you'll always have a way to look back…" He gently touched her hair, lifting it up and letting it fall through his fingers. "…and remember me."

Izayoi looked into the mirror, with an almost loving smile before she looked back up at him. "Thank you for understanding how much he needs me," she said softly, touching his cheek softly when he closed his eyes. Her hand lingered, as if she didn't want to let him go, before she completely pulled away and rushed up to gather her things and leave.

Moments after Izayoi left, Sesshomaru entered the room with an actual smirk on his face. "Well, Chichi-ue, I had my doubts, but things seem to be processing as they should."

The Hellhound couldn't even snap at him for his snark, only touching the jar holding the Shikon no Tama as his entire body seemed to deflate. "I let her go," he whispered, but it was loud enough for the teenage daiyōkai to hear him.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened, before he growled, "You _what?_ How could you do that? Do you know how long we've been waiting for the ningen to come here?"

"I had to," the Hellhound answered softly, shaking his head in acceptance.

" _Why?_ What on earth could possess you to _do_ that?" Sesshomaru demanded, putting a hand on his father's shoulder, ready to yank him around to look him. But he didn't have to - the Hellhound turned to look at him, and Sesshomaru stopped.

He was used to his father's glares. He was used to his father's overconfident smiles. He was used to his father's sure expressions.

What he wasn't used to was his father's face, shrouded in complete and utter heartbreak.

"Because I love her." He spoke softly, sure of himself, with hurt in every word. And Sesshomaru took a step back in shock, before turning and leaving the room in a rush. He needed to talk to Haha-ue…

###

"He did _what?!"_

Sesshomaru nodded, wincing at the look on his mother's face - somewhere between her wanting to murder Chichi-ue and feeling pity for him instead.

"But he was so _close!"_ Myoga despaired, crying on Totosai's shoulder.

"After all this time, he's finally learned to love," Inukimi said, for once not smiling, only looking down in sorrow. Her former husband was no longer how he had been when they had first been married - he had changed and developed, and all that seemed to do was cause him heartache.

"Shouldn't that break the spell, then?" Totosai asked, looking up at her hopefully.

Inukimi shook her head sadly. "It's not enough. She has to love him in return. And now…"

"Now it's too late," Sesshomaru finished for her, and for the first time in his life, actually feeling _pity_ for his father, who had finally gotten what he wanted…and decided to let her go.

And the Hellhound watched as Izayoi rode out of the castle grounds, and he let out a roar, full of sorrow and anger as he watched the woman he loved with all his heart disappear from his life.


	3. Transformation

Izayoi pushed the horse harder, only allowing herself to think about her sick father. She couldn't allow herself to think of the roar she had heard as she left, of how the Hellhound looked as he released her…

She shook her head. _No. Chichi-ue needs you,_ she reminded herself. And so she pressed forward, the horse galloping harder, going back _home_.

It could've been minutes, hours since she had left, but Izayoi didn't stop, just kept a firm grip on her bag. Before she knew it, she was practically flying back into the palace, past surprised servants.

"Is that—?"

"Did the princess come back?"

"Izayoi-hime!"

The princess ignored them, just managed to get the horse into the stables. As soon as she did, she jumped off and ran into the palace, not even bothering to take off her zori. She ignored the calls of her name, and the servants stepped aside for her in surprise. She took the familiar route to her father's room, and damning propriety to _hell_ , she entered without permission.

The sight made her heart ache. Her father was alone in his room, panting hard as he slept uncomfortably. He shifted and turned, moaning occasionally. There was nothing but sweat on a pale brow.

"Oh, Chichi-ue…" she whispered, rushing to his side and stroking his face. He leaned into her hand, his breathing ragged.

Knowing she couldn't waste any time, she began to pull out herbs from her bag, all in little woven containers that the Hellhound had given her. Her stomach dropped when she thought of him, but she quickly shook her head and began to crush the appropriate herbs. Once she had crushed the right amount, she poured it into a water container, and shook it. She checked it to make sure the herbs had dissolved into the water, and then lifted up her father's head and made him drink it slowly.

After he had drunk the entire thing, she sat by his side and waited.

Izayoi didn't know how long she waited - no one came in to check on her father, or looking for her. She said nothing, only stared at her father as he stopped sweating, and his breathing cleared out. Slowly, Shoichi groaned, and opened his eyes. His eyes hazy, he managed to see a woman sitting by his side - a woman with long black hair and herb stains on her fingers.

"Izayoi?" he groaned, thinking it as a crazy dream. His daughter was gone. His precious baby girl was a prisoner to that terrible, awful Hellhound with red-gold eyes that haunted his nightmares…

"It's alright, Chichi-ue." Izayoi's voice wavered, cracking as she helped her father sit up. "I'm home."

Shoichi's vision cleared, and his eyes widened dramatically when he saw his beautiful daughter actually _here_. Here and safe and _home_. Ignoring propriety, he sat up fully and wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulling her into a hug. Izayoi melted into his embrace, hugging him back, tears stinging her eyes.

"I thought I'd never see you again," he croaked into her hair, stroking the back of her head.

"I missed you so much, Chichi-ue," she murmured, arms tightening around him.

Shoichi opened his eyes when a thought came to him, and he pulled away to look at her. "But the Hellhound—! How did you escape?" he asked her urgently, his hands moving to her shoulders.

Izayoi shook her head slowly. "I didn't escape, Chichi-ue. He…" Izayoi bit her lip, remembering the pain in the Hellhound's gold eyes, shrouded in red, but how he ignored it in favor of making her happy. "He let me go."

"That horrible Hellhound?" Shoichi frowned, not being able to process it. The horrible Hellhound that haunted his sick nightmares, with his glowing eyes and razor-sharp fangs, the one who rough-handled him and took his daughter prisoner…had let her go?

"But he's different, now, Chichi-ue!" Izayoi assured him, looking as if she was in another world as he eyes grew soft. "He's changed somehow."

Shoichi looked at her curiously, opening his mouth to say something, but his attention was drawn elsewhere when his door opened once again, only this time letting in a tall man dressed in samurai armor, with cold brown eyes and black hair hanging into his eyes.

"Takemaru?" Izayoi looked up at him in surprise. In everything that had been happening, she had honestly forgotten about him. Her heart sinking, she remembered exactly _why_ she had been gone from the castle that fateful day.

"Izayoi-hime, I'm glad to see that you're alright." Takemaru gave her a charming smile that she did not return. "See, Shoichi-sama? She wasn't with some terrible Hellhound, she was just off visiting her mother's family before the wedding, weren't you?"

"I did no such thing!" Izayoi snapped, eyes darting between Takemaru and her father, who had looked down at her as soon as Takemaru had entered the room. He looked vaguely ashamed. "I really was with the Hellhound! And _what_ wedding?"

Takemaru's charming smile slowly faded to be replaced with a scowl. "Are you telling me, Izayoi-hime," he spoke coldly, "that your father was actually telling the truth when he said that you had been taken in as a prisoner to a terrible Hellhound in a castle in the forest?"

"Of course he was - Chichi-ue is an awful liar!" Ignoring her father's weak protests, she demanded, "And answer my question, Takemaru - _what_ wedding?"

Takemaru laughed. "Oh, Izayoi-hime." He clicked his tongue at her, shaking his head, treating her as if she was some sort of _child_. "You can't honestly expect me to believe that there's a Hellhound living in a castle in the forest? It's preposterous!"

Izayoi gritted her teeth. There were many things she could deal with - people doubting her, and calling her crazy. But the one thing she could never deal with was people calling her a liar.

"I can prove it!" she yelled before she could think it through. She opened her bag, gripping the mirror handle tightly and pulling it out. "Show me the Hellhound!" she asked it, and showed it to him.

Even though she couldn't see the mirror like her father and Takemaru could, she could easily see it in her mind - she could hear the roaring, so she could see the messy white fur, and his bone-crushing fangs, and his big, cute dog ears. The image made her wince, knowing what exactly was making him roar that way.

Takemaru completely changed - he dropped his helmet and crouched down, taking her away from her father's and gripping her shoulders tightly. It was something she wasn't familiar with - her father had always treated her like a china doll, so he had never gripped her shoulders to the point where it hurt, and the Hellhound had grabbed her with delicacy, as if afraid he'd hurt her. This tight grip that was undoubtedly leaving bruises was not something she was used to.

"Let go of me!" she demanded, but Takemaru ignored her as he demanded, "Are you telling me that for the entire winter you've been in a castle with _that_?"

"He's not a _that_ , he's a _he_! And now that you believe me, answer my question - _what_ wedding?"

" _Our_ wedding, Izayoi-hime!" he yelled at her, and she flinched back, eyes wide. "And know I'm finding out that a dangerous Hellhound has been touching my bride?!"

"He's not dangerous!" she protested. "He'd never hurt anyone! Please, I know he looks vicious, but he's really kind and gentle." Her voice grew softer, momentarily forgetting here she was as she managed to shrug off Takemaru's hands and looked at the Hellhound through the mirror. Without noticing, she began to smile fondly. "He's my friend."

Shoichi looked at his daughter, as if in shock, while Takemaru's eyes widened and his lips twisted into a foul scowl. He grabbed Izayoi's shoulders again and shook her, making her look up at him.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you have _feelings_ for this monster," he growled at her, looking ever bit more demonic than any yōkai back in the castle. Izayoi shook him off again, this time growing angry as she stood up, and he followed easily to tower over her.

"He's no monster, Takemaru," she snarled, clutching the mirror tightly to her chest. "You are! And I'm _never_ marrying you!"

Takemaru gritted his teeth, and Shoichi's eyes widened at her proclamation. Izayoi huffed and went to leave the room, when the samurai's hand darted out and gripped her wrist tightly, twisting in so that she wouldn't be able to escape.

"That filthy Hellhound has put an enchantment on you, hasn't he?" he growled into her ear as she fruitlessly tried to escape. "No worries, Izayoi-hime - I'll snap you out of it." Looking down at Shoichi, he told the lord with a cold expression, "Shoichi-sama, I must insist that we find this castle and kill the Hellhound to wake up your daughter from this trance."

"I am _not_ in a trance! Chichi-ue, you have to believe me!" she cried desperately, struggling to move her head to make eye contact with her father.

"You went there once before, didn't you?" Takemaru continued, as if Izayoi hadn't spoken. With his free hand he snatched the mirror from her grasp and twirled it around. "And with this, it should be easy to find it."

"No! They haven't done anything - _he_ hasn't done anything! Chichi-ue, _please_ —" she begged, but Shoichi just bit his lip and stood up, brushing himself off to look at Takemaru. As much as he wanted to believe his daughter, Shoichi knew what he had seen back in the castle. A Hellhound like that wasn't capable of change.

Slowly, ignoring his daughter's pleads, Shoichi nodded his head at Takemaru. Izayoi froze, eyes widening in disbelief, as she whispered, "No…"

"I'll make sure that Izayoi-hime doesn't escape to tell the Hellhound," Takemaru informed the lord. "Under this enchantment, who knows what she would do."

Izayoi, still in shock over what was happening, did nothing but follow Takemaru as he dragged her away. Her body felt numb - she felt as if she wasn't part of what was going on, that all this was was just a dream and she'd wake up and the Hellhound and Inukimi and everyone inside the castle wasn't about to be killed…

Too late, she regained feeling in her body. As soon as she did, Takemaru forcibly threw her into a familiar room - _her_ room. Izayoi looked up and quickly stood back up, rushing to the door and pounding on his armor with small fists. "You can't keep me in here! Takemaru, if you actually have feelings for me, you can't hurt them!"

"Oh, my feelings for you are _very_ real, Izayoi-hime. That's why I'm going to massacre every single monster in that castle." As if disgusted with her, he pushed her back, making her fall. When she looked back up at him, he faltered, as if hesitating. The look soon passed, and his scowl came back as he closed the doors shut. She stood up, and went to open the door - and it didn't give.

 _Of course_ I'm _one of the only people in this castle to have handles on my door…_

Heart sinking, she struggled to open the door, even though she knew that it was probably lodged shut with a spear. She screamed and cried, begging her father to believe her, until her voice was hoarse and she was on her knees. Tears ran down her cheeks, only one name in her mind.

"Hellhound…I'm _so sorry._ "

###

Even though Shoichi was the lord of the land, it was really Takemaru leading the way with the mirror in his hand. Looking at him through the corner of his eye, Shoichi felt doubt rising in his chest.

Takemaru had always been a faithful samurai, and devoted to Izayoi. Izayoi had never seen him more than just a friend, but it had seem a given that she would eventually marry him. But Izayoi had always been vehemently against it - and that was the reason she had ran into the forest that day he went to look for her. Was it possible that his perceptive daughter had noticed something about Takemaru that he hadn't?

But at the same time, Shoichi knew that there was no way the Hellhound would've willingly let Izayoi go. That monster, kind and gentle? He handled Izayoi like she was a rag doll. But Izayoi didn't _lie_ \- it wasn't in her.

So Takemaru must be right - she must be under an enchantment. He _had_ to be.

Even so, the doubt just continued to grow in Shoichi's stomach. Unbeknownst to him, there was a yōkai in the castle they were looking for that had similar thoughts.

Sesshomaru paced the room, jumpy. "Why would she leave?" he muttered to himself. "I knew I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up—"

"Hush, Sesshomaru." Even as she said so, Inukimi looked vaguely disappointed as well. "Izayoi-hime was just worried about her father - it wasn't her fault he was sick."

"Still, maybe it would've been better if she hadn't come at all," Totosai spoke, and Inukimi said nothing, only in silent agreement.

What was worse, she wondered. That her former husband had met Izayoi and changed because of his love for her, or if Izayoi hadn't come at all and they would've been stuck in the castle forever?

Myoga hopped towards the window, and squeaked as he jumped up and down. Mistaking it for joy, Sesshomaru rushed to the window, hope blooming in his chest. Maybe the hime had realized that she - for some reason - also loved the Hellhound, and was coming back.

What he saw instead just made him frown. It wasn't Izayoi - it was an army of samurai, with a a paler version of Shoichi in front of them, but the one _really_ leading them was a samurai on a horse with a fierce scowl on his face, the magic mirror at his side.

"They don't look very friendly," Sesshomaru said dryly - something he had inherited from his mother - as the two other yōkai walked to the window to see what was going on outside.

"Well, if it's a fight they want, then they'll get it." Inukimi smiled - a cruel smile that made everyone in the room shiver - and began to issue orders. "I'll go warn the Hellhound. You three, get ready for a fight. But _no_ killing."

"Haha-ue—!" Sesshomaru immediately began to protest.

" _No_ killing," she repeated, smacking the top of her son's head with a fan she kept hidden in her sleeve. "The smell of dead human bodies would never leave the castle, and I'd much rather clean blood than have to make graves in the garden." And with that, she rushed out of the room, heading to the West Wing.

The sight was enough to make her falter in her steps. There were no new destroyed things, but a slumped Hellhound still staring at the Shikon no Tama. It was one shard away from being complete.

"Pardon me, my lord," she spoke up, slowly, as to not to startle him.

"Leave me in peace," he growled out miserably. It was as if he was mourning the loss of someone important to him - but he hadn't lost her to death. Only to situations which he could not control.

"The castle is under attack," she continued, ignoring his request. "What should we do?"

The Hellhound knew what Izayoi would do if she was here - she would pick up the nearest weapon, her eyes ablaze, and she would order to let them come to get a beating. But Izayoi wasn't here, and it was as if she had taken all of his strength with her as she left.

"It doesn't matter now." The Hellhound put a hand over the jar, before turning back to look at her. "Just let them come."

###

It was only when her body felt uncomfortably stiff that Izayoi finally looked up, her eyes ablaze. Rubbing her face, leaving it more blotched than it had been before, she glared at the door as if she had a vendetta against it - which she did.

Now wasn't the time to feel sorry for herself - now was the time to warn the Hellhound and somehow convince her father that she isn't under some sort of spell. Looking around for some sort of way out, her mind flashed with the memory of a fireplace and a great storyteller.

 _"I picked one up and slipped it through the crack, and began to cut away at it. It works for anything that someone would use to block a door - spear, sutra. Just use something sharp and you're free."_

Rapidly standing up, Izayoi rushed to her coffer and opened it, ruffling through it desperately. _Come on, it has to be here somewhere…_

"Aha!" she spoke up triumphantly, pulling out the tessen fan that Takemaru had given her as a souvenir from one of his battles. She had forgotten about it until now, never finding much need for a war fan. Testing the iron blade, she smirked at feeling how sharp it was.

Approaching the door, she slowly slid the tessen fan into the crack between them and began to saw at the spear. She didn't have to cut it in half - just enough to weaken it. She sawed until her arm hurt, but as soon as she heard the wood croak she dropped the fan. Not really thinking, she slammed her body against the doors—

—and squeaked when the doors gave way, making her and the doors fall together to the floor. Offhandedly, she hoped she didn't get any splinters, but she didn't linger much on the thought. She scrambled to her feet and rushed out to the stables, noticing how empty the house seemed to be, but shook it off. Grabbing her faithful horse, she jumped onto his back and took off.

Izayoi knew she had to get back to the castle as soon as possible. She knew that Inukimi and Sesshomaru were strong, but what if the Hellhound was too weak too fight? And Myoga and Totosai were both incredibly nice people, but cowards to the core. And what if her father died thinking she was under some sort of curse? She could change his mind. She _had_ to!

Her horse seemed to notice her desperation, because he began to gallop faster, and Izayoi made a note to herself to give this amazing stallion a bag of apples for everything he's been through. The castle came into view, and her heart sunk at what she saw.

Inukimi twirled around the samurai with a tessen fan in one hand - how she did that with all of her heavy jewelry still on, Izayoi would never know - injuring samurai after samurai but, Izayoi noticed with relief, that no one was dead yet. Sesshomaru was out, too, with a green whip that looked like it was made out of poison. Totosai was blowing fire to keep them out of the castle, while Myoga shouted encouragement from his shoulder.

"Chichi-ue! Chichi-ue!" she called, looking around frantically for her father's familiar face. Where _was_ he? Spotting him quickly, she gasped at seeing him try to battle it out with Sesshomaru, and she jumped off her horse and rushed over.

"Chichi-ue! Sesshomaru! Stop it!" she pleaded, trying to grab her father's arm, and when they made no notice of her, her anger spiked. She stomped her foot on the ground and put her hands on her hips as she yelled, _"I said stop it!"_

Shoichi and Sesshomaru instantly froze - as did many of the people around her. But Izayoi didn't notice or care, as she started up her usual glaring fight with Sesshomaru. The teenage daiyōkai immediately returned it, before his lips twitched. If Izayoi didn't know any better, she would've said that he looked _relieved_.

"So you came back…Izayoi-hime." The whip disappeared from his hand, and he took a step back. Izayoi's eyes widened - that was the first time Sesshomaru had ever referred to her with any sort of title. He much preferred to call her 'ningen' or just 'Izayoi'. But soon she found herself smiling at him, and then turned to look at Shoichi.

"Chichi-ue, you have to stop this attack on the castle," she said, sounding more like a demand than a request.

"Izayoi, I know you're under a spell—"

"A spell? Izayoi-hime?" Totosai began to laugh uncontrollably. "With all due respect, ningen lord, but none of us living here has the power to put people under spells."

Shoichi looked at the blacksmith yōkai with discomfort, before settling his eyes back on his daughter. "Izayoi…"

"No! Chichi-ue, please, you have to believe me." She gripped his forearms tightly. "I'm under no such spell. Takemaru _lied_. And I was telling the truth about everyone that lives in this castle - they wouldn't hurt anyone—"

"They just injured hundreds of our men—"

"But no one's dead! And they were acting on self-defense - if someone attacked _our_ castle you would've done the exact same thing! Just because they're yōkai doesn't make their behavior any different from us, Chichi-ue." Izayoi gestured to everyone around her, not noticing how everyone had stopped fighting to listen to her.

"This is a castle in which people _live_ in, doing nothing to bother us, and offered me hospitality even as a prisoner - the Hellhound gave me a room nicer than the one back at home just minutes after declaring me locked up in here!" she continued, getting more heated the more she talked. "He gave me a library, and took me to see the medical herbs which saved _your_ life, Chichi-ue! I know he was awful at first but he _changed_ , just like people do, and I _saw_ that! You have to believe me when I say that I'm under no enchantment!"

"But…"

"Chichi-ue." Her eyes pierced his, and Shoichi shivered at the look. "You _know_ me. Do you see anything off with me? Something that would imply that I'm under a spell?"

Looking over her, Shoichi noticed that there was indeed nothing amiss with his daughter. Her hair was a tangled mess, and she was only wearing a two kimono layers, but that was nothing _new_. She still had herb stains on her fingers. She still had that habit of clenching and unclenching her hands when she was annoyed. She was _Izayoi,_ and Shoichi wondered with a sinking stomach how he had let himself be so easily fooled.

Izayoi was an open book. And she had been right all along about Takemaru being a sly smooth talker.

Raising his voice, he yelled, "Drop your weapons! Cease the attack!"

Though the samurai had already stopped attacking, they immediately dropped the weapons and thought belatedly to themselves that it was obvious where Izayoi had inherited the commanding voice she spoke in.

"I'm so sorry, Izayoi." Shoichi hugged her tightly, and she hugged him back, ignoring his spiky armor. He pulled back and immediately told her, "Takemaru already got inside. I don't know if he's found the Hellhound yet, but—"

"WHAT'S THE MATTER, HELLHOUND? TOO KIND AND GENTLE TO FIGHT BACK?"

Izayoi's heart sunk to her chest as she backed up a few steps and tilted her head upwards. There, up near the Hellhound's balcony, she could see the Hellhound slouched over with an arrow in his back, defeated, as Takemaru taunted him from nearby, raising his sword over his head to deliver to finishing blow.

"Oh no…" Izayoi whispered, putting her hands to her mouth. "No! Takemaru, don't!" she yelled, and watched in relief as the Hellhound seemed to regain his strength and knocked the sword out of Takemaru's hands and began to fight.

"Izayoi." Shoichi's voice was urgent, and she looked at him with tear-filled eyes. He drew his sword and handed it to her. "You have to go up there and help him. Take this."

Izayoi stared at the sword, a few tears falling. She had so many things to say to her father, but she knew that she would have time to do so later. Right now, she had to help the Hellhound defeat her crazy stalker. And with that thought in mind, she rushed into the castle.

###

Even while he was fighting, the Hellhound couldn't help but think just how much he loved Izayoi and how much he really _needed_ her.

With her gone, he had been willing to just _die_. Just like that. He was about to let a ningen samurai kill him because he thought his sorrow was too much. When he had heard her voice, it was all of his strength had come back, as if his very life had returned to him. It was exhilarating and wonderful, and he had been willing to die of heartbreak.

But now, fighting him back in the rain, he realized just how idiotic that would've been. It was better to have loved Izayoi and her to still be gone than to die and never have the possibility of ever seeing her again.

Takemaru kicked the Hellhound back, and the Hellhound grunted and slid to the side, easily hiding himself among the many figures on the roof. Now, he was glad that Inukimi had demanded that he accept the gifts he got after winning many wars - without them, he wouldn't have had such an easy time disguising himself as he waited for Takemaru to tire himself out.

He was doing a pretty good job of it, too, as Takemaru swung his sword and hacked off the heads of the statues. That is, until the samurai started talking.

"Come on out and fight!" Takemaru yelled, but his only response was lightning and thunder. "Were you in love with her, hellhound? Did you honestly think she'd want _you_ when she had someone like _me_?"

That's it. How dare this lowly ningen just imply that Izayoi would just want _him_ over the Hellhound without even asking _her_?! Izayoi wasn't a toy! She wasn't something that could be _owned!_ Izayoi was a person, with feelings and emotions and wants and she has a say in who she wants to be with!

Growling, the Hellhound slowly slid out of his hiding spot, creeping up behind Takemaru. The samurai has good instincts, the Hellhound grudgingly admitted, when he immediately sensed the Hellhound behind him and swung his sword around in an attempt to hit him. The Hellhound managed to avoid getting hit, but without realizing it he had gotten himself into a dead end.

"It's over, hellhound!" Takemaru roared, raising the sword over his head again. "Izayoi is mine!"

Snarling until it was audible to both of them, the Hellhound smacked the sword away from Takemaru, making it fall down onto the castle grounds. Without missing a step, the Hellhound picked Takemaru up by the neck and held him over the edge of the roof, ready to drop him to his death.

"Put me down. Put me down," Takemaru pleaded, an entirely different person from before. "Please, don't hurt me! I'll do anything! Anything!"

The Hellhound's anger slowly melted, but feeling annoyed with himself. Why couldn't he do it? He had killed countless of humans before, why couldn't he kill this one?

Maybe it was imagining what Izayoi would say when she inevitably found out. She studied medical herbs, after all - the princess was a _healer_. And she would be absolutely disgusted with him if he killed Takemaru.

But even then, there was something that wasn't that. Compassion? Pity? Whatever it was, it made the Hellhound decide to show one last act of mercy. Glaring at Takemaru, he slowly pulled him back onto the roof, silently enjoying the human's whimpers.

Towering over the kneeling samurai, the Hellhound growled out lowly, "Get out!" Without even waiting for a response, he shoved Takemaru to the ground, and as soon as he did he caught a scent - herbs mixed in with sweet flowers. He looked up just in time to see Izayoi peer over his balcony, hair draping down at him.

"Hellhound!" she cried out in relief, one hand still gripping the handle of her father's sword tightly as her free hand reached out towards him.

"Izayoi?" he whispered, his face twitching into a wide smile. Even after hearing her voice, even after catching her scent, a part of him really couldn't believe that she was _here_. She had come back to him. She was alive and well and _here_.

The Hellhound quickly climbed up the roof towards her, noticing with amusement the sword in her hand. The princess was filled with surprises, wasn't she? He reached out to take her tiny hand in his massive paw. Hanging over the edge, the Hellhound used his free hand to delicately cup her cheek.

"Izayoi?" he whispered again, making sure this wasn't a crazed dream caused by heartbreak. When she nodded, his smile grew wider as he murmured, "You came back!"

Izayoi and the Hellhound stared at each other, both with adoration and amazement and passion in their gazes, not noticing what was going on around them. So distracted in each other's gazes, in fact, that neither of them noticed the samurai sneaking up behind them with a poisoned dagger in his hand.

The Hellhound suddenly roared in pain, and Izayoi's eyes widened at seeing a dagger in his side, put in there by a maniacally grinning Takemaru. Her anger spiking, she rose up her own sword and swung down, easily cutting off his arm. Surprised, Takemaru began to fall backwards, but the sudden change in gravity made him begin to lose his slip and before he knew it, he was falling.

Straight down to hard rocks below.

Dropping the sword, Izayoi grabbed onto the Hellhound's haori, pulling him back onto the balcony. She immediately took out the dagger in his side, and threw Takemaru's arm over the side with the blade. The Hellhound staggered, falling to the balcony floor. Izayoi caught him, and somehow managed to gently lie him down, her eyes never leaving his face. She began to stroke his fur, not believing what was happening.

She had come back to him, hadn't she? The Hellhound was fine, he had to be…he couldn't just…he couldn't just _leave her_ …

The Hellhound's eyelids slowly fluttered open, his chest heaving as he panted. Through his hazy vision, he was able to see Izayoi looking at him with overflowing worry and concern.

"You…you came back," he managed to pant out, barely able to keep his eyes open.

"Of course I came back!" Her voice cracked, but she continued, "I couldn't let them…" Her chin quivered as tears threatened to fall, and she collapsed onto his chest to hug him tightly. "This is all my fault…"

"Maybe…maybe it's better, this way," the Hellhound breathed out, his voice getting weaker with every word. Izayoi quickly sat up, still on him as she touched her finger to his lips, shushing him.

"Don't talk like that. You'll be all right." She sounded more as if she was trying to convince herself, smoothing down his suikan, but her eyes grew even more worried as she heard him cough and saw blood trickling down the side of his mouth. "We're together now, everything's going to be fine, it has to be…"

The Hellhound lifted up his paw, slowly brushing her black hair away from her face like she often did. He felt strangely in peace. He had done something right for once in his life - he had prevented her from being with someone as despicable as Takemaru. He had met _her_. Just by knowing her, he was content.

"At least…" the Hellhound started, struggling to get the words out, "I got to see you…" He winced, as if in pain, but still continued, "one last time."

Izayoi pushed the Hellhound's paw into her cheek, tears trickling down her cheeks as she tried to take in the warmth of his paw, the softness of his fur. He held it there for her, knowing that she needed it, before his strength slowly began to sap out of him. Eventually, his arm loosened, and his head fell back onto the floor. The last thing he saw before his eyes closed was Izayoi's beautiful, tearful face.

Izayoi's eyes widened and she dropped the paw, holding her hands up over her mouth and shaking her head. Tears began to fall without stop, and her hands darted out to grab his haori, clenching the fabric into her fists.

"No, no!" Izayoi could barely see through the rain, and she didn't notice the yōkai or her father at the door. All she could concentrate was on the Hellhound's still face, and how _wrong_ this was. The Hellhound was full of life, of fiery passion…he couldn't…

"Please, _please_ don't leave me!" she begged, as if he could actually hear her. "Please don't leave me!" She was full out sobbing now, hiccuping between the words. Her head fell onto his chest, desperately trying to hear a heartbeat; _anything_ that would indicate he was alive.

"I love you!" she whispered into his chest, tears still falling.

The four yōkai turned to look at the Shikon no Tama hovering in the jar. The last shard grew into the jewel, and they all seemed to deflate. They had hoped, if the curse had been broken, then maybe he…

Sesshomaru, in a moment of weakness that he normally would've never let anyone see, buried his face into his mother's shoulder. And Inukimi wrapped her arms around him, gripping him tightly, something foreign sitting on her chest. Totosai and Myoga bowed their heads, showing respect towards their former master. And all the while, Shoichi's heart sunk as he watched his baby girl cry, completely heartbroken.

None of them noticed the Shikon no Tama disappearing from the jar.

The rain continued to fall as Izayoi cried into the Hellhound's still chest. All of the sudden, one beam of pink light fell next to his body, like a shooting star. Then another, and another, and another. Seeing the pink light through her eyelids, Izayoi looked up to see what was happening and gasped, her tears momentarily stopping. As a fog began to enshroud the Hellhound, she backed away and looked up in shock as the Hellhound's body began to rise, slowly spinning.

Slowly, he was enveloped in a cloud of light, his haori twisting around him. His body was shifting and forming, and one arm shoot out only for his paw to turn into a humanoid hand, and the fur began to disappear from his arm. Light shot out of his fingertips, and the same happened with his feet. The wind blew across the Hellhound's face as his body began to face Izayoi, and the fur melted away, as did the ears, to be replaced by a young, humanoid face.

He slowly descended from the air and is laid down on the floor again, with Izayoi still in her spot. What was going on? What just happened? She knew that this castle was cursed and it had something to do with the Hellhound, but this wasn't _him._ It couldn't be…could it…?

The fog disappeared, and Izayoi reached out to touch him. If this still was the Hellhound, then he still must be injured and dead and—

She squeaked when the figure began to move, and jerked her hand back. The figure stood up slowly, unsteady, and looked at his hands, before turning to look at her. Izayoi tilted her head, squinting her eyes at this new person. Who was he? He was clearly male, and a daiyōkai no less, but…

"Izayoi!" His voice was vaguely familiar, but Izayoi just tilted her head up to look at him directly in the eye. Before she could get a good look, he leaned forward and gripped her hands. They were humanoid hands, alright - humanoid hands with claws for fingertips. "It's me!"

Izayoi raised an eyebrow, skeptical. _This_ was the Hellhound? But he looked so different! He wasn't as tall - still very tall, but let's face it, everyone was tall compared to Izayoi - and had tanned skin instead of a pale white. But he _did_ have those blue markings on his cheek, just like the Hellhound did…

Reaching out, Izayoi hesitantly reached out and combed her fingers through his long white hair - the same color as the Hellhound's fur. And just by touching it, she could feel how similar the fur of the Hellhound and his hair was. But how…?

Finally, Izayoi noticed his eyes. They were no longer shrouded in red, but she could recognize that golden shade anywhere.

"It _is_ you!" She cupped his face into her hands, smiling up at him in relief. His own hands flexed, grabbing her around her waist as he stared down at her lovingly, before letting her go and stepping back, bowing.

"I'm the Inu no Taishō, Izayoi-hime." He grabbed her hand and gently kissed it, and Izayoi laughed. Twisting her wrist, she gripped _his_ hand and pulled him back up, and instantly captured his lips into a kiss that made Shoichi turn away in embarrassment.

And as they kissed, a pink light shined around them, before darting off into the sky and exploding. The yōkai felt a tingle of power go through them, and Inukimi immediately rushed off and jumped upwards, transforming into her true form mid-jump. The she-demon roared as she flew up to the sky…and wasn't stopped by a barrier like she had been for all of those years.

Nearly laughing, Inukimi flew back down and reverted back to her humanoid form to embrace her former husband into a hug, and Sesshomaru actually accepted a pat on the head by his father. Izayoi giggled behind her hand as she watched Totosai and Myoga repeatedly bow to her in gratitude. Looking away, she met Shoichi's eyes.

Shoichi tilted his head to the side, asking her a silent question. _Are you alright? Is this what you want?_

Izayoi smiled and glanced back at the group that was still celebrating the curse being broken. She turned back to her father and gave him a small nod. _Yes._

Shoichi smiled in relief and approached her, kissing her forehead. "You've grown so much, Izayoi," he whispered. "Your mother would be proud."

"Thank you, Chichi-ue." She hugged him tightly for a moment, before she turned back to look at the Inu no Taishō almost shyly. The Inu no Taishō was having none of that, and immediately grabbed her waist and picked her up, twirling her around.

"Oh, no, you're not gonna get all shy with me now, are you, Izayoi?" he growled playfully, rubbing his nose against her. "After all, you _are_ my prisoner. And I don't plan on letting you go ever again."

Izayoi lightly smacked his shoulders as she gripped onto them. "Oh, yes you will. I need to visit Chichi-ue, after all. But I'm only your prisoner if _you_ are _my_ prisoner in return. Sounds good, anata?"

The Inu no Taishō gave her a beaming smile at the nickname. "Sounds perfect."

Izayoi laughed and kissed him again, knowing that no matter what would happen, she would always stay by his side.

###

A baby's cry echoed throughout the castle. The Inu no Taishō stood up rapidly from his spot waiting just a few feet away from the delivery room. Ignoring his servants' protests, he barged in, and opened the blind that covered the futon.

"Still as impatient as ever," Izayoi mused, looking up to smile at her husband. "Anata, come look at your son."

The Inu no Taishō eagerly knelt down beside her, straining to get a good look at his son. He saw a scrunched up face, a tiny adorable puppy dog nose, and a head full of white hair. And there, on top of his head…

"Oh come on! I thought I got rid of those ears!"

Izayoi laughed as she tweaked her son's ear, watching with amusement as it flickered. "Truth to be told, I _do_ miss those ears you had as the Hellhound. I'm glad they live on in our son."

The Inu no Taishō pouted, but his breath caught at seeing his son scrunch up his nose and then open his eyes, momentarily stopping his fusing. Golden eyes met golden eyes, and the Inu no Taishō's heart melted.

"Inuyasha," he muttered, reaching out a finger to stroke the tiny infant's face. "His name shall be Inuyasha."

Izayoi raised an eyebrow. "You honestly want to name our son the 'Dog Forest Spirit'? Which literally translates to him being a dog demon? Seriously?"

The Inu no Taishō pouted at her, even throwing in a little whimper. Izayoi looked back down at the baby in her arms, and then shrugged. "Oh, why not? Inuyasha it is."

Inuyasha immediately began to fuse, pawing for his mother, and she brought him closer to her face, smiling. The Inu no Taishō wrapped his arms around her and him, bringing them closer to his chest.

Inuyasha stared up at them, having no idea what family he was getting himself into.


End file.
